Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Strolling the Golden Rose
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Before long, it was Thursday, the student council room filled with the rustling sound of papers flipping over. With the holiday just ended, work had piled up considerably.
“President, we've received an official notice to begin reviewing the budget for the seasonal festival three months from now.”
Valensidis nodded at the words of Felix Drake, the vice president who worked harder than anyone else.
“We'll proceed just like last year. For now, send official notices to each club and set a date for the meeting.”
If Felix worked diligently, Valensidis worked flawlessly. Her handling of tasks was swift and precise, without a single blemish.
As he glanced at her, his eyes met Valensidis's head-on.
She rested her chin lightly on her fist and let out a smirk, a cold sneer whose meaning escaped him.
“…….”
Something felt terribly off, but for now, he needed to focus on his own work. It was then, as he turned back to the mountain of documents stacked on his desk.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Sandra Kepel, who had been slouching around bored out of her mind, approached with a look like she'd struck gold. This girl did less work than anyone.
“Girl trouble?”
“If we classify it that way, sure.”
“What? What, what, what? Why the lukewarm reaction? Spill it properly. I know women's hearts inside and out.”
Rain was, as always, sifting through the various agenda items that came up to the student council, looking for ones worth bringing to the table.
“Senior, actually…….”
“Actually?”
“I think I'll pass on saying.”
“What?! You can't dangle it like that and bail! Spill it now?!”
Get to work……
He couldn't bring himself to say it, so he quietly voiced his curiosity instead.
“Senior, do you know Casena Page?”
“Casena? Of course! She was such a bright and cute little kid…… But that's weird, I haven't seen her around at all lately.”
“Why's that?”
Sandra started to say something, then clamped her mouth shut and brushed it off with a smile.
“No idea.”
Was it under some gag order, like falling off a wall? Hmm.
More than that, though, the part about her originally being bright and cute stuck with him a bit. The Casena he'd seen was a girl drowned in nothing but grief.
Just like Lin, wandering the slums 300 years ago……
- What's your name?
The dean lady had approached him first and shown him the light called magic. Maybe that's why, even 300 years ago, he hadn't been able to just leave Tureina alone.
- Get lost, I said get lost……
And likewise, why Casena Page's voice now lingered in his ears…… No, it wasn't that.
‘It's just a problem I need to solve to clear Auntie's false accusation.’
On the path toward truth, he had no time to spare for things like pity. This was just a transaction.
It was around then that the chancellor's secretary came to the student council room and pulled Rain aside.
The secretary didn't even briefly explain the reason, simply escorting Rain to the chancellor's office. Madelia, pacing by the window in a most uncharacteristic way, lit up the moment she saw him.
“I'll get straight to the point. What happened with Casena, that girl?”
The same feeling hit him as when his eyes had met Valensidis's—something was terribly wrong.
Had she falsely accused him of doing something creepy? Was he now in a situation where his head might roll?
He needed to tread carefully, find a cautious way out of this.
“I just…… explained the utility of magic to her. And got kicked out right away. Nothing strange happened, really.”
“No way!”
“Why are you like this? Could I know what the young lady said about me?”
Madelia then made a huge fuss, grabbing a rolled-up letter from her desk and holding it up high. And she said something utterly unbelievable.
“This letter just arrived from the mansion. Rain, she says she wants to see you again. Casena herself!”
* * *
“With finals over, the seasonal festival is coming up, so I'd like you to start preparing step by step from now.”
Student council president Valensidis handed documents to Joën, president of the Rural Development Magic Club.
“Yes, we'll do our best to showcase some great magic.”
Valensidis flashed a grin and turned, only to—ah—glance back just her head.
“I heard there was some trouble at the start of the semester, but glad it turned out fine.”
“Oh, that. Thanks to Young Master Rain, it was resolved well.”
Lately, that name was popping up frequently not just in the light, but in the shadows too. Valensidis raised an eyebrow, showing curiosity.
“Rain Ludwig?”
Joën nodded vigorously, as if thrilled to hear the name.
“I heard he joined the student council! A bit disappointing he can't come to the club anymore, but with him, he'll accomplish even more there.”
“Calm down, you're starting to look like a fanatic.”
Valensidis heard the full story of the incident from the start of the semester from Joën. The third-years had been away on the magic tower field trip at the time.
Among commoners especially, Valensidis enjoyed immense trust. Despite being a commoner herself, she'd never lost the top spot in her year.
Not only that, she always looked after her classmates and underclassmen with full sincerity.
Had Valensidis been there at the time, Logan's antics would surely have been dealt with by her.
“That guy did that…….”
A strange question bubbled up in Valensidis's mind. In a not-bad way—he was different from typical nobles.
Even when he, who was just a commoner under his fabricated identity, had unleashed such rude remarks, he'd never shown a hint of displeasure.
And he seemed to have thick support wherever he went……
“Definitely worth watching over time.”
Valensidis muttered in a voice laced with chill, and Joën tilted his head.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself. See you later.”
* * *
“You can make me walk?”
That was what Casena said a mere 30 minutes later. Up until then, Rain had been shrinking in the corner of the room like a kid awaiting punishment.
“I can't believe it! We're the same age!”
“Does that matter?”
“Of course! Even my mom, the greatest mage, couldn't do it? You? You barely look like you can handle 2-star magic?”
Twitch—a vein faintly throbbed at his temple.
“Mages have different specialties.”
“Hmph! And I can't believe you made me walk here either. That was a scam, right? Hallucination magic? You're actually a lousy mage.”
Lousy mage? It had been ages since anyone provoked him so splendidly to his face……
In his Lin days, he could've just wrecked shop, but his status as Ludwig heir tied his hands.
So instead, he upped the ante to something absurd, one the opponent couldn't possibly overcome.
“What would convince you? Want me to let you stroll the city?”
At that, Casena's face lit up like she'd been waiting for those exact words, then she yanked up her top to hide it.
What, she wasn't a sparrow……
Once her flushed expression settled, she cleared her throat primly and nodded with dignified airs.
“Fine. Make me stroll the city. Then I'll hire you as my tutor! Even though you're a lousy mage, specially!”
Wait, she'd accept that?
Had she just shot herself in the foot?
But backing down now wouldn't let his pride. She'd just go, “See, it was all a lie that you could make me walk.”
“Very well. Wait a moment, then. I'll get permission from the chancellor—”
“—No way!”
“?”
Bewildered, he tilted his head, and Casena cast her eyes down sadly.
“If I tell Mom…… she'll send a ton of guards! Then people point and stare. Look at her, the Page lady, can't even walk……
So that was it.
For a fleeting moment, he couldn't help feeling a kinship. It was the kind of scornful gaze he'd gotten a lot right after joining Rista's party.
“More than that, I want to see the city raw! Not with guards clearing the path and everyone staring.”
“Then how do we go?”
He asked with a sigh. The Page family was on another level from other magic houses.
They had an elite battlemage guard unit, and that guard was protecting the tower where Casena was like an iron fortress.
Fooling them with illusion magic was tricky since illusions weren't Rain's specialty.
Fighting and taking them down was an option, but controlling his strength against those guys? One slip and he'd kill someone, becoming a murderer.
“That’s…….”
Casena mumbled. She probably hadn't thought that far.
Disappointment welled up in her eyes as her expectations fell flat, looking utterly pitiful.
What a pain—everything kept getting complicated. Irritation flickered, but then a voice brushed his ear.
- Promise me. Come back as an adult who can share the light of magic with others.
I know, I know, lady.
Another sigh escaped, but…… well, it wasn't like there were zero options.
“Your room has quite the large window. Big enough for two to stand side by side.”
Probably to prevent suicide, the window sill was higher than Rain's height, but still sizable, designed for an astronomical telescope.
“Can’t go that way…… Mom put up a barrier.”
“No problem.”
Bell Quirius.
Silver-white flowers bloomed in his blood-red eyes, stripping away the 2-star telekinesis barrier intricately etched into the window.
The translucent curtain that had caged her vanished in an instant, and Casena blinked dazedly.
“W-What. How…….”
The issue was that Madelia was thorough and had backups in place.
The moment the barrier vanished forcibly, alarms blared through the mansion.
Wooong, wooong, wooong—the mansion's defensive barriers lit up wildly.
“No time to explain. Let's go.”
Rain climbed onto the window sill.
This was a gamble.
From Madelia's attitude last time, she didn't hold the reins—Casena did.
He might earn Madelia's distrust from this, but in turn, massive favor from Casena.
“M-Me too!”
Casena, pulled up by Rain's telekinesis, stood beside him.
Then, a wind carrying early summer's warmth swept in, and Casena's pale purple hair beautifully caught the twilight glow.
“Wow…….”
Before the boy and girl stretched a majestic vista—the endless golden city sprawling in the twilight, flaunting its splendor.
[Golden Rose].
Seeing the long-familiar sight again, Casena trembled and let out a gasp. After a long moment, he spoke.
“Nice view, right?”
“What? You just got here and acting like you know! This is my city.”
“Ah, yes…….”
It was then. The door, hastily sealed as a temporary measure, burst open with a bang, and the guard unit led by the knight captain stormed in.
“Miss!”
“Rain Ludwig, what is the meaning of this!”
The next instant, the emotion flickering in the guards' eyes was an indescribable bewilderment……
The miss was standing on her own two feet.
With such a happy expression.
Even the seasoned guards froze at the inexplicable sight, and as if driving the nail home, Casena flashed a grin.
“I'm just going for a quick walk. Keep it secret from Mom!”